– how can a place be constantly extremely rainy? Eg Maui is said to be one of the wettest places on earth where it rains constantly. What is the explanation behind this? Why would one place be constantly rainy as opposed to another place?

Question

– how can a place be constantly extremely rainy? Eg Maui is said to be one of the wettest places on earth where it rains constantly. What is the explanation behind this? Why would one place be constantly rainy as opposed to another place?

In: 4147

Answer 1

Rain forms when moist air rises and condenses. I grew up in Norway, where the city of Bergen is notoriously rainy. The wind from the North Sea carries tons of moisture, and the city lies at the foot of tall coastal mountains, which force the air upwards, forming rain clouds. So look for tall mountains and moist air, and you’ll find where it rains.

Fun fact: some of the world’s driest places lie inland from such mountain ranges. They squeeze the moisture from the air like a sponge, so there’s none to go around farther inland.